Repeating device for disk talking-machines.



L; ABRAHAM. B EPEATING DEUCE FOR DISK TALKING MACHINES.

Patented July 28, 191%- APPLICATION FILED B11026, 1913. 1,104,760.;

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LAWRENCE ABRAHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REPEATING DEVICE FOR DISK TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed December 26, 1913. Serial No. 808,711.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE ABRAHAM,

a citizen of the United States, and resi dent of the borough of Brooklyn, count-y of of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Devices for Disk Talking-Machines, of whi h the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to a device for use in connection with disk record machines and is particularly adapted for the well known Victor talking ma-. The herein described device is an improved form of a similar device shown and described in my application Serial No. 804,622 filed December 4, 1913.

With certain records, and undercefrtain circumstances it is frequently desirable to repeat or have the record played over and over. Ordinarily, this caii be done only by attention on thepart of the operator, who must lift the needle at the end of the record, swing it out and 'set it on the disk again at the beginning of the record. It will be understoodthat if the operator neglects to lift. the needle at the proper time the harmo- I a circular track and B a spiral track located nious playing will .be followed by rasping noises produced by a scraping of the needle.

., My invention has forzits object, by the attachment of a simple device, to overcome the last named ditiiculty and to automatically lift the needle at the end of the record and swing it outward to the starting point and lower it into contact with the disk so that the'record may be played over and over again, as long as required, without any attention on the part of the operator. In my former application this is accomplished by revolving a spiral track. in unison with the disk, the inner end of the track being adapt- -ed to dip down so as to intercept an arm secured to 'the sound box casing as the end of the record is reached whereby the needle is caused to be lifted by the arm ridin up on to the spiral, and following thetrac is carried outward toward the periphery of the disk where the arm passes off the track and the needle is lowered into contact with the disk at or near the starting .point of the record. In practice it has been found that with some records the rigid arm and the dipping inner end of the spiral track do not come together properly with the result that the continuity of the playing is sometimes interfered with. In my resent inventlon this 1s avoided 'by providing a beveled circular track substantially, coincident the inner dipping end of the. spiral track and pi'votally, mounting the arm or pawl carried by the sound box so that under light pressure as the needle nears the end of the record, the end of the pawl will slide up the inclined or beveled outer circumference of the circular track. The parts are usually proportioned so. that the pawl will snap will be readily engaged by the dipping inner end of the spiraltrack, after which the needlewill be lifted and carried outward to the starting point of the record as wit-h the device previously described. This improved form of my device is shown in the accoms panying drawings of which- Figure 1 represents aplan view of a talk ing machine with my improvement applied thereto; g 2 is a side elevation thereof};

and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show detail views 0 the pawl in operation. Y

Referring to the drawings,'A represents one above the other in planes parallel to the record disk. The track A is concen" 'trically arranged about a rod or axle A and is preferably secured by arms or spokes A to asplit collar A adjustably secured by a set nut A to the upright rod or axleA, which is referably squared at its lower end A and inserted in a square hole in the end of the arbor, or axle G of the revolublel table or support for the record.-,;disk- C. The spiral track B is preferably secured at its 'inner end to the circular track A at B", the

inner end B of the spiral B dipping down to the level of the track A and the outer free end portion of said spiral B being preferably made somewhat y1elding or flexible.

The di ping end B of the spiral track is prefera ly circular and concentric with the inner face of the circular track A. Thus the tracks A and B are mounted to revolve m unison with the disk 0, and the length of the post A is such that the plane of the spiral track B may be adjusted to stand above the sound' box D carrying the needle D, so as to clear the same as they whirl around with' the disk. The tone arm E, as

usual in this type of machine, constitutes the horn which is adapted to swing in a horizontal lane, the end of the tone arm being provided with a transverse joint so that the diaphragm and needle may have a vertical movement, as well as the horizontal, for lifting the needle from the record.

The outer face of the circular track is preferably beveled, as indicated in the drawings, and a movable resilient pawl F is pivotally mounted at F upon a bracket D secured to the back of the sound box'D, and is provided with alaterally projecting'arm F adapted tocoiiperate with the circular and spiral tracks A andB. The outer end of the pawl is preferably provided with a depending lug F ada ted to snap or drop over the upper edge the circular track A as indicated in Fig. 5 and afterward engage and ride upon the upper and inner face of the spiral track B.

Gravity'or a suitable spring is adapted to hold the pawl F in the position indicated in Fig. 3, the lower end F of the pawl be ing extended beyond the pivot F to engage the bracket or pawl support 1) and limit the movement of the pawl in one direction as indicated in the drawings. From this arrangement it will be seen that as the needle follows the spiral thread of the record and is gradually fed inward toward the axis of the record disk the pawl F will be carried toward the circular track A. As the end of the record is approached the lug F will strike the bevel of the track A and as the needle follows the spiral thread of the record the pawl will gradually belifted' as indicated in Figs. 3 to 5 until the lug F snaps over the upper edge, after which the pawl is inposition to engagethe dipping end B of the spiral track B. Whenthis latter engagement takes place the pawl will ride up on to the track B and the needle will be lifted from the disk and by means of thetrack carried outward to the starting oint of the record. When the outer end 0 the track B is reached the weight of the sound box and connected parts will cause the said outer end to yield so that the needle will be gradually lowered and will finally be brought into contact with the disk as the pawl I F leaves the end ofthe track and t e pawl'will drop to the position indicated in Fig. 3. I In this position the pawl'will clear the under side of the spiral track B as it revolves and at the same time be in position to again engage the beveled face. of the circular track A. Thus my device is adapted to automatically repeat the playing of a record as long as the motor of the machine is in operation.

Preferably the circular track A is adjustably mounted upon the red A, as indicated, for the'purpose of raising or lowering the plane thereof with respect to the pawl F. The object of'this adjustment is to vary the .in practice given satisfactory results and is efiicient in operation but I do not wish to be limited to the specific details of construction modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. I claim: I

1. In a repeating device for talking machines the combination with a revolving disk support and a movable needle supporting arm adapted for horizontal and vertical movement with respect to the disk, of an annular track member in a plane parallel to said disk and concentric with the axis thereof, a spiral track taking off from the inner face of said annular track rising over the same and extending in a plane above the plane of the annular track to a point a predetermined distance from the said annular track and means for supporting said annular and spiral tracks and revolving them in unison withsaid disk support.

2. In a repeating device for talking ma-' .for it will readily be understood that various chines the combination with a revolving disk support and a movableneedle supporting arm adapted for horizontal and vertical movement with respect to the disk of an annular track member in a plane parallel to said disk and concentric with the axis thereof, a spiral track taking oif from the inner face of said annular track, rising over the same and extending in a plane above the plane of the annular track to a point a predetermined distance from the said annular track, means for supporting said annular and spiral tracks and revolving them in unison with said disk support, and means carried by said needle arm adapted to engage said annular track and ride upon said spiral track to lift said needle and carry it outward to the starting point of said record.

3. In a repeating device for talking machines the combination with a revolving disk support and a movable needle supporting arm adapted for horizontal and vertical movement with respect to the disk of a circular track and a spiral track adapted to cooperate, each in a different plane, means for revolubly supporting said tracks a predetermined distance above said disk, a movable pawl pivotally supported on said needle support and adapted to engage and ride upon said tracks and means for limiting the movement of said pawl.

4. In a repeating device for talking machines the combination with a revolving moareo 8 ing arm adapted for horizontal and vertical movement with respect to the disk of a circular track having a beveled outer face and a connected spiral track each in a different plane, the inner end of said spiral track dipping to the plane of said circular track on the inner face thereof, means for adjustably supporting said circular and spiral tracks at a predetermined distance ove the disk, and movable means carried by the needle support adapted to cooperate with said tracks to lift the needle at the end of a record and carry it to the starting point, substantially as described.

5. In a repeating device for talking machinesthe cornbniatlon with a revolving 7 disk support and a movable needle supporting arm adapted for horizontal and vertical movement with respect to the disk of a circular track beveled on its outer face and lying in a plane parallel to and above said disk, a spiral track in a plane above said circular track, and having its inner end inl clined and brought to the level of said cir- 25' cular track and coincident with the inner face thereof the outer end of said spiral track being located at a predetermined radial distance from said circular track, means for supporting said tracks and revolving the same in unison with the disk and a pivoted pawl supported upon said needlearm in position to engage the beveled face of said circular track and ride up the same and en- ,gage and follow said spiral track whereby the needleis lifted at the end of the record of}; disk and carried to the starting point automatically. V

6. In a repeating device for talking machines the combination of a rotatable record table a movable needle supporting arm, an

annu an track a spiral track, said tracks bein need e from an nperativeposition and back approxlmately to its starting point, means for rotatably supporting said tracks above said table and a pawl movably carried by adapted to cotiperate to move said said supporting arm and adapted to engage and ride up on said tracks.

7. In a repeating device for talking machines the combination of a rotatable record table, a movable reproducing needle, a spiral track adapted to lift said needlefrom an operative position and move it back approximately to its starting point, an annular track located below said spiral track and connected therewith whereby said needle is guided to said spiral track and means for removably connecting said tracks with said table.

8. In a repeating device for talking machines, the combination of a rotatable recupright rod detachably connected with the axis of said table a spiral track arranged to lift said needle from an operative position and return it approximately to its starting point, an annular track connected with said spiral track and adapted to guide said needle thereto, a collar on said annular track adapted for connection with said upright rod and adjustable lengthwise thereof and I ord table, a movable reproducing needle, an

means for securing said collar in an adjusted position on said rod.

9. In a repeating device for talking niachines arotatable record table a movable LAWRENCE ABRAHAM.

Witnesses PAUL W. Fnnsn, BENJAMIN J. Connor.

LWAM4 M M c 

